Dame Vera Lynn, who was known in Britain during WWII as “The Forces’ Sweetheart” turns 100 today. Perhaps her most famous song from that era (of which more later) is “There’ll be bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover”. Today WWII re-enactors played tribute at the wartime installations that still exist in and on the cliffs, two spitfire aircraft flew by and a 350ft image of Dame Vera was projected onto them last night. Sadly she was too frail to attend but she does stand a good chance of becoming the only musical artist to have hits in every decade from the 1940s and every decade of her life from her 20s. A new album, including remastered classics, was released on Friday. If it reaches the British top 20, she will break her own record of the oldest to reach the chart, set in 2014 when she was 97.
The back story of “White Cliffs of Dover” is interesting. The Times today got it spectacularly wrong (probably by copying it from Wikipedia).
In her 1942 classic The White Cliffs of Dover she sang in reference to RAF pilots in their blue uniforms — the “bluebirds” — who would prevail against Nazi Germany and return home victorious.
The song was written about real bluebirds of the flapping, flying variety. The tenuous link the Times has may in part be due to the simple fact there are no bluebirds in Britain. RAF pilots were not nicknamed “bluebirds”. It also points to the origins of the song. It is in fact purely American; Glenn Miller recorded it the year before Vera was shown it. Bluebirds were however a popular image in American songs in the 30s and 40s . You may recall “bluebirds sing” “Somewhere over the rainbow” in the Wizard of Oz. In the 1946 film “Song of the South”, there is the line “Mr Bluebird on my shoulder” in the song “Zip-a-dee doo dah”. “White cliffs” even shares the same opening musical motif as “The Star Spangled Banner”. It was written as part of a wider movement to end American isolationism at the start of the 1940s using popular culture, Another example, although released after Pearl Harbor was the movie Mrs Miniver.
“White cliffs” shares the hopeful, nostalgic lyricism of many of her songs like “We’ll meet again”. That was used with ironic effect at the end of the movie “Dr Strangelove”
Vera Lynn earned her nickname. As well as a regular show on the BBC she performed for the fighters in every theatre of war in WWII, often putting herself in danger. She also supported troops during the Falklands/Malvinas conflict, putting her own twist to Rod Stewart’s “Sailing”. This is the remastered version from her new album.
Vera Lynn was already an established singer before WWII. The BBC has done a documentary, including discussions between her and her daughter, to celebrate her 100th.